Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-30
texas LAND LAWS.

Prejudice enters SO largely into the
popular discussion Of the Texas land laws
that it seems, st times, hopeless task &c
direct public attention TO the absolute ne
cessity for the repeal of the lease law in
the interest Of the settlement of the I'M
occupied territory OF the state.
The Jesse law was the conception OF
men who desired to perpetuste control
of ranch lands. The law prevented
the purchase OF lands in large
| bodies, settlers were pushing
ranchmen toward the setting sun,
large capital had been attracted to the
business Of cattle raising, and the alter
native was permanent control of the
ranch lands or surrender to the man
with the hoe. East Texas was persuaded
that it could school its children with
lease money paid by "bullionaires" who
were growing rich on free grass, and
lease law was enacted that LETT the lands
open to the actual settler.
This law Yves afailure, because it Wss
a fraud, since no lease can be honest
which is not sbsolute,for the term OF It's
life. The III X step Was to perfect the
law, By providing for absolute leases,
which WAS done under a iusilade of paper
pellets against "the bullionaires" who
mad used lands free in defiance
of the fraudulent lease law
hey had themselves connected.
And now we have lease law
that leaves agricultural" lands open to
the settler and the "pasture" lands abso
!u.ely to the lessee fer the term Of his
lease; and the classification" deter
mines the grade. This legislative hybrid
is supplemented by an insufficient
method of acquiring lands tina. are open
to settlement, and what with the popular
feer of the dreaded cowboy
within leased lands inclosed by
wire tence and the bunglssome method of
acquiring information and title, settlement
makes slow progress, compared to the
crush" th.t would follow a wise and gen
erous land policy similar to that of the
general government, and to that which
obtained in Texas prior to the introduc-
ton of foreign capital into the cattle bus
mess.
These alien and native s'bu'lionaires"
have so blinded the people that every ar
gument against the lease law is met by
prejudice and selflshnesa; but The GA
zETTE on Friday printed testimony which
none may say ls an emsuation OF the SOUL
liongire.n 4neral Dodge Of the Fort
Worth and Denver can be interested only
in the settlement Of the country The sub
stitution of farms and people for
cattle ranches and calves means
pref to his roaI, and this
is his testimony, and The GAZETTE
asks every man who desires land policy
that will settle the west, create market
for East Texas lumber and increase the
taxable values Of the state, TO read and
ponder the evidence of s man who cannot
pOSeioit oS dCCuseu Oi NOIklaH III iHO III
tsrest OF the "bullionaires:"
The Panhandle Is not settling IS fast as 1t
ought to, nor as fast people would Ike to
set lie 1t. The tact is that your state laws are
defective In the most important particular;
people coming in or desiring to come in do not
know and cannot ascertain with that degree Of
certainty necessary to inspire confidence. the
necessary information relative to land titlea.
There are thousands Of acres of land in the
Panhandle, ana there are thousands of families
that want 10 enter upon them and bui d homes,
but no one knows where to settle and no one
can fad out any thing about title. 1 have re-
ceived numbers of letters from parties who de-
sire to locate In that territory, or who have
been over the ground and desire TO
purchase homes, asking me about the
title to the lands. They do not care what the
price Is or how long time they viii have TO
afhinr certain and